The Post-Race Recap

Wow.

My blog readers are the best! Thank you for all the great comments, and kudos to all of you who have races coming up. I wish you the best of luck!

One of the most difficult obstacles that many runners face after a big race is the "what's next" question. For me, I found out that I won the "lottery" and got a number for another race coming up in October. (Lucky, huh?) Apparently getting an individual number for this race is pretty difficult. Most people who get a number do so through a team. I guess luck was on my side! Even though I secretly promised myself as I crossed the Boston Marathon finish line that I would never ever do another marathon, I am going to do it anyway.

In October, I'll be running the Nike Womens' Marathon in none other than SAN FRANCISCO! Seriously, I really think I left my heart there, and I go back every 6 months or so to try to find it. I think Tony Bennett would be proud.

Ocean Beach is where the race starts and ends, and for a while, Ocean Beach was my old stomping grounds. This is me "testing the waters" in San Francisco in 2007. There's a shoutout to UMass Amherst in that photo as well. Go Minutemen!

So it seems like I have a few new readers. I want to direct you to my About Me page so you can get a better idea of who I am and what you might expect on this blog. That being said, many of you come to my blog for an update on local foods, some come for recipes, some of you come for my fabulous sense of humor (ha), and... well, I'm not sure why the rest of you stop by, but I feel like I've neglected the local food aspect on my quaint little corner of the internet.

I found out my fruit and vegetable CSA will be starting up soon, so you can expect new recipes to come soon! Right now, though, I want to share a recipe made with local grains I received from my grain CSA. Here are some lovely, grainy, and good-for-you, locally-grown-and-made rye-cornmeal muffins.

Corn-Rye Muffins

(adapted from Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking For Everyone)

1 cup of local whole wheat flour (milled myself!)

1/2 cup rye flour (also milled by yours truly!)

1/2 cup cornmeal (local and milled from dent corn)

2 tsp baking powder

4 Tbsp molasses

1/2 tsp salt

2 eggs

1 cup fat-free milk

1/4 cup vegetable oil

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and spray muffin tins with cooking spray. Mix the dry ingredients in one bowl, the wet ones in another, and them combine them quickly. Fill muffin cups about 2/3 of the way full and bake until risen and lightly browned, or about 25 minutes.

These make a hearty addition to my new favorite smoothie breakfast or to a nice steamy bowl of chili!

Recently, I've been getting a lot of questions about how to feed little ones. To answer those questions, I wrote an article for POM Wonderful called Nutritious Nibbles for Tiny Tummies here, so forward it to those with young ones with picky eating habits!

And finally, I'd like to leave you with some images of Spring from my 'hood.

Happy Spring!